Simmer
by HeavyHeartToCarry
Summary: The pack has been moved; Grace and Sam have forever together; Cole survived; Isabel moved back to California. You'd think things would end there. But the story's not over yet. /Takes place a month or so before the last chapter of Forever.
1. Chapter 1

_**All characters belong to the lovely Maggie Stiefvater. I claim absolutely no ownership. Unless I throw in some OCs. Which I might. Anywho.**  
><em>

_Authour's note: _Wow, I haven't written one of these in a while. I haven't been in the mood to write any real stories. I definitely don't have the time. Yet, here we are. All right, I have a few things to say, and you should listen to what I have to say before diving in, otherwise you might be let down. Or confused. I tend to have a confusing effect on people, but I guess you can be the judge of that (; First of all, I wrote this because I love Isabel and Cole so much that it's kind of completely insane. So they'll be the focus. There is a stunning lack of fanfiction on them. I'm contributing, loveme. Second of all, they're both really wonderfully complex and interesting characters, so forgive me if you think my characterisation is off. But tell me, so I can improve~. Thirdly, I haven't planned the whole story out yet. I hope I finish this, though, I really do. I'm posting this because I had a sudden burst of inspiration at 6am on a Sunday morning and this was the result. I have noooo idea why I sound so oddly formal right now. I'm 17 going on 56. I think I'm writing all of this as if I were Sam or something. I just spent all day reading Linger. 'Nuff said. And lastly, the formatting is bound to be way off from how it looks in Word, so I apologise in advance! NOW, all of that out of the way, I would also like to say that I hope you enjoy this. I think I'll have as much fun writing the rest as I did writing the first chapter. And I'm sorry it's so short. I guess it's like a teaser of sorts. But mostly, it's because it is currently 6:46am and I should probably definitely sleep. Enjoy! :3

**Chapter One**

● **ISABEL**

I was lying in bed, not thinking of anything.

This had always been my bed, which was sort of a strange concept. Something as simple as a bed, something I used every day without thinking about it, had been with me my entire life. First we moved it from California to Minnesota, and then we moved it back again. I wasn't thrilled about either trip.

This time, I should have been happy. I missed California every day I spent in Mercy Falls and everyone knew it. It was like nothing pleased me anymore, if even being back in California made me more frustrated than excited. It almost didn't matter. I was done with high school, thank God, and now I would be moving out to attend college, anyways. But I wanted my roots planted firmly in Mercy Falls. Like I was still planted firmly in Mercy Falls. I guess there was a quota on the amount of miracles one person could receive in a lifetime and I'd spent all of mine. At least they hadn't been wasted.

And suddenly I wasn't thinking about mundane things like my stupid old bed anymore. I was thinking about him. And how our goodbye had been less than satisfactory. And how there was the very real possibility that I might never see him again. I wanted to get over it. I wanted to get over _him_. I was good at hiding my feelings. I just wasn't good at making myself stop feeling them.

● **COLE**

I didn't hate summer as much as I used to, but I did still hate it. There was no chance of becoming a wolf, at least not without the help of an injection. As much as I believed I was right, that I had the cure and the cause of what turned us into wolves, Sam insisted that I needed more than just _him _as proof of my success. I was slightly offended by the notion, but whatever helped him sleep at night. I'd do more research. I just needed more test subjects.

I never seemed to spend enough time thinking about what other test subjects I could use. I spent my time thinking about pointless things instead.

16 days since Isabel Culpeper had left Mercy Falls forever. 19 days since I had talked to her, face-to-face. Naturally, as was the habit of my brain, I thought about her the more I didn't want to be thinking about her. I didn't want to think about her hair or her laugh or her kiss. That last one was actually pretty interesting when you started taking it apart. I remembered our first kiss. It was unexpected and fueled by lust and I didn't even know her. She says I know her now better than anyone else. That was funny to think about. I remembered our last kiss, too. Every kiss seemed to mean something different, seemed to indicate some kind of new step in our relationship, or whatever it was we had. Her lips had felt soft and familiar. The rest of her body welcomed me as I pressed against her, firm but gentle. These were the kisses I liked most and hated most.

Sam walked into my bedroom to find me lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling, lost in my thoughts of Isabel. He knocked on the inside wall of my room and I was so unbelievably grateful for the distraction. "We going out, Ringo?"

He regarded my unkempt hair and lack of a shirt as a clear indication that my suggestion was out of the question. "Even if you were dressed, we wouldn't be going anywhere. I just wanted to make sure you were alive, since you never seem to leave this room anymore."

It was a true enough statement, but I didn't need to be reminded of it. What else did he expect me to _do_, exactly? Get a job? Enroll in online college? Find a nice girl of my own to write heartfelt love songs for? None of those options appealed to me in the least.

"Actually, that's not why I came in here," Sam continued, tapping absent-mindedly against the doorframe. "It's that time of day where I go to visit Grace and we both pretend that her parents are actually giving me a chance." He inhaled a sharp breath before exhaling through his teeth. "But I guess that's what makes it a compromise."

"Guess so," I said, because I didn't really have a better response. I liked Sam, and I liked Grace, and I possibly liked them even more together, but the whole thing with her parents really didn't mean anything to me. He went and visited her all day long and I just stayed here in this damn house with nothing to occupy me but my thoughts. It was like some sick punishment for saving his life. I never brought that up, though. Sam did it often enough that I didn't have to. And every time I would deny it. _I'm not a hero_, I'd say, and really mean it. _I'm not sure what I am_.


	2. Chapter 2

_Authour's note: _Gosh, thanks for the feedback! I wasn't really expecting any, to be honest. I really, really appreciate it. I suppose I rushed this a bit for you guys, so I hope it's not too bad. I'm starting to feel extremely paranoid about straying from the original characters, but I think I'll get more accustomed to writing everyone with more practise! Again, THANK YOU! (:

**Chapter Two**

● **COLE**

Waking up was never my favourite.

Falling asleep sometimes was, at least when it was easy.

For the last two weeks, I'd had a hell of a time falling asleep in the first place. It didn't matter how tired I was, I couldn't turn my brain off long enough to get any real sleep. And on those rare occasions that I did fall asleep, I woke up a few hours later, still feeling tired as ever. The only good part was the in-between, the sleeping itself. The best part was the dreams, when I had them.

Today I would be productive. Today I would pick my research back up. It's not like I had anything better to do, anyways. I'd thought about really learning guitar, but I figured what's the use? All those years of learning to play piano and I wasn't doing anything with it. I still preferred paws over hands and you can't really play a major chord or a concerto as a wolf. Not that I had tried, but it was probably a safe bet.

There was one other thing that I'd been avoiding doing. It was also something that I probably wanted to do more than any of those other things, I just didn't know how to get the timing right. I never called Isabel at the best time, that's what made it a phone call from Cole St. Clair. But the fact that I couldn't even talk to her_ unless_ it was through a phone made things somehow different.

I wished she hadn't moved.

● **ISABEL**

I didn't like going out anymore, and that really bugged me. I used to love shopping in California. I used to like doing a lot of things. It was so stupid. Mercy Falls was one of the most boring places in the universe and now everything else paled in comparison. It's like I had gotten used to the monotony of the slow lane and now I couldn't even have fun in the fast lane.

Even my friends here seemed really insignificant in comparison to everyone in Mercy Falls. And it's not even like I had that many friend there in the first place. I only really had Grace and Sam and Cole, and Madison to an extent. It was kind of like they had screwed me over. Being with them made me realise how fake and annoying my friends in California were. I almost hated my old friends now. Except for Lucy, who was the only one who had bothered still talking to me when I moved to Minnesota. You could call her my best friend, though I doubted I'd ever like her as much as I liked Grace.

If I didn't give her a shot, then I wouldn't have anyone. As much as I liked my isolation, I didn't like feeling alone. There was a difference between choosing to be alone and not having any other option.

I agreed to go see a movie with Lucy, though I wasn't too invested in what we saw. She was looking forward to some romantic comedy, so we went and saw that. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. It just wasn't that great, either.

"Romantic comedies are the worst," Lucy groaned, right as we stepped outside the theatre doors.

"I thought you were dying to see that movie," I said, feigning interest to the best of my abilities.

"I was! But, you know." She shrugged and didn't say anything further, like I was just supposed to know exactly what she meant.

"Sure," I agreed, unconvincingly.

"Okay, what I'm saying is, like… You know, guys in a romantic comedy always seem so perfect. And in real life, they seem perfect and then they're not. But in a rom com, they really _are_, and it just creates completely unrealistic expectations and it's so frustrating. I would _love _to find a guy like that," she sighed, recalling the love interest we'd just seen on the big screen. I couldn't even remember his name. She suddenly realised that she'd been doing all the talking. She looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "Well, wouldn't _you_?"

"Wouldn't I what?"

"Wouldn't you just love to have a boyfriend like Jeremy?"

"Who?" If she was expecting me to remember some guy she used to date or whatever guy she dated now, then she was expecting way too much of me.

Lucy gave an overdramatic sigh before elaborating. "That guy we just watched in that thing we just saw." As if I were supposed to know these things.

"Right," I said, as if I really _did _know these things. "No, not really. He wasn't really my type, at all." I didn't feel like explaining any further. I didn't feel like talking about my turn-ons and turn-offs. And most of all, I didn't feel like telling her anything about Cole at all. I didn't want to forget about him, but I didn't want any of my friends here to know about him. He was part of a separate world, a different Isabel, one who lived exclusively in Mercy Falls and nowhere else. His Isabel lived in a place where it was acceptable to cry in front of him. And this Isabel, here in California, would never do something like that.

"Not your type?" Lucy practically screeched. I couldn't even comprehend her level of surprise. 'Jeremy' seemed safe and dull and there was nothing unique about him. I didn't like any of those qualities. "But he was _perfect_!"

I hated that word. Perfect. There was no one definition for perfection, because everyone defined in so differently. I didn't even have a definition, it was so pointless. "I feel sorry for you if you think that boring stereotypes like Jeremy are perfect."

She was quiet for a moment, and I almost felt bad. I still hadn't gotten over my bitch default and I doubted I ever would. "Well then, what kind of guy _would _you date?"

It wasn't supposed to be a loaded question, but it was. _I will not describe Cole_. "I don't know, I've never thought about it."

"Think about it now and tell me." The level of demanding in her voice was almost scary.

I honestly didn't know the answer to her question. Unlike most teenage girls, apparently, I never thought about things like that because I didn't care. _I will not describe Cole._ "Guys shouldn't just lay over when you challenge them. They should fight back. And guys should take charge, but never be too demanding. And…he should say things that make you feel weird. But in a good way. And he should probably be a good kisser too." _Dammit, I described Cole_. It only made sense. He was the only guy I'd ever really liked. As much as I hated all of these qualities in him, I also liked them. Because he wouldn't be Cole without them. He wouldn't be Cole without the drugs and drinking, too, but those I could live without.

Lucy made a facial expression that I couldn't quite read. "Sounds like you're describing somebody in particular."

I scowled and forced the blood not to rise to my cheeks. She didn't get to know about anyone from Mercy Falls, much less him. "If there had been someone interesting in Mercy Falls, I would have told you."

"The more you deny it, the more I'm inclined to believe you're lying."

Had Lucy always been this annoyingly persistent? There was no reason why my love life should be this interesting to her. "Why do you care?"

She didn't answer right away, as if she didn't even know why she cared. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, my cellphone started ringing, which was disappointing. I had wanted to hear her fascinating explanation.

It was someone calling from Beck's house, and although it could technically have been Sam or even Grace, I knew it was Cole. I could let it go to voicemail, but I didn't have that much willpower.

"You really do have the worst timing," I answered angrily.

"I'm reliably interruptive," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. It annoyed me for some reason I couldn't pinpoint. "What am I interrupting now?"

"Nothing," I said shortly, extremely aware of Lucy standing right behind me. I was probably acting more defensive than necessary. "You're lucky my movie just ended."

He paused for a beat. "Hot date tonight, huh?"

I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. I must have forgotten to reply, because he added, "That would explain the bad timing."

"No."

"Convincing."

"It should be, because I'm not." This conversation was going nowhere. I couldn't figure why he cared or why he's even asked. "What kind of a date ends at 6pm?" He made a relieved sort of noise, and I knew he'd forgotten about the time difference. Again. "Why am I explaining myself to you?"

"I don't know, you tell me." He sounded smug and he probably looked it, too.

"I don't know, either," I said honestly. I had waited so long for him to call me and now it just felt like wasted time. As much as I wanted to hang-up on him, I desperately didn't want him to hang up on me. If the call ended now, after a non-conversation, I knew I'd be upset.

He didn't say anything. Maybe he had hung up and I'd missed it. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I am." He didn't say anything else. Cole usually had so much to say, sometimes it was impossible to shut him up. I wasn't used to carrying our conversations. I wasn't used to this Cole.

"Why did you call?" I tried not to sound too annoyed, though my impatience was rising at a dangerous rate.

"Part of me sensed that it was a bad time and I felt compelled to call you right away."

The more he said, the less it meant. You could never analyse Cole's actions because there was never any deeper reasoning behind them. He acted on impulse, fueled more by his emotions than by his overdeveloped mind.

"That's not why you called."

"It's not."

That was the closest to a confession I'd get out of him. It would have to be enough for now.

"I have to go." It wasn't until Lucy kicked a pebble past my feet that I remembered her presence. "I'm with a friend and she doesn't want to listen to me talk to you all night."

"Ah, the truth comes out."

"It wasn't a secret."

"You made it sound like one."

I hung up. It shouldn't have been a big deal, but he didn't need to say that.

I had a habit of making everything sound like a secret.

"Was that the guy?" Lucy asked, smirking triumphantly. I wasn't in the mood.

"Leave it," I said, turning on my heel and heading towards the parking lot.


	3. Chapter 3

_Authour's Note:_ Holy crap, I haven't updated in FOREVER, I'm SORRY! Sincerely. On the brightside, I graduate from high school in less than a month so hopefully I'll have more time to write over the summer! Honestly, this isn't a full chapter. I just wanted to post _something_ so you guys know I'm not dead and neither is this story. I've actually really been working out the plot now, so the chances of me finishing are much higher. I hope you like this…little mini chapter for now.

Chapter Three

● SAM ●

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but when I walked inside to find Cole lying face down on the couch, I was a little surprised. I sat down on the arm of the couch and looked down at him.

"Do you know how many people have sat in the exact spot where your face is right now?"

He grunted before slowly pushing himself up and flipping over onto his back. "I had been ignoring that up until now."

"Did I miss something while I was at Grace's?" Cole had a tendency to do nothing all day. Maybe that's why I was caught off-guard.

"No, not really. I just read that lying on your stomach stimulates certain regions of the brain, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I haven't used my brain in a while."

"Oh, I can tell, because that didn't make any sense."

"Ah, I'm losing it," he said wistfully.

I rolled my eyes. "Why don't you get back to figuring out whether or not I'm cured?"

"I don't plan on spending all of my time thinking about _you_."

"What_ have_ you been thinking about?"

He hesitated before saying, "Nothing, didn't we just establish that?"

"Hm." I quirked an eyebrow. Clearly _something_ had been on his mind. It's not that I had bought his "brain stimulating" story, I just didn't particularly care what his problem was. "Right."

"Right."

Sighing, I walked into my room and closed the door behind me. I'd been working out the chorus of a new song all day and now I'd finally be able to get it down on paper. I wondered briefly whether Cole still wrote songs. If he did, I didn't hear them.

● COLE ●

It wasn't entirely my fault. In fact, it was mostly her fault. I had been nice…relatively nice. Asking if she was on a date had probably been a bad idea, but I wanted to know, so I asked. I can't say I'm not relieved that she wasn't. I hadn't done anything with anyone since she left. I didn't even think about it. And it wasn't because of her, it was because I didn't think anyone else would want me. Besides, I was supposed to be dead. Anyone who wants to date some dead guy probably isn't my type.

I knew I needed to call her back at some point. Figuring out when that point should be was the hard part. I could wait for her to call first, but I wasn't about to get my hopes up. Maybe a nice old-fashioned letter would be better. I could think about things before writing them down. Sometimes I don't censor everything I say. Clearly. She probably wouldn't appreciate letter, either. E-mail? Just kidding.

"Well, I guess you're screwed," I said to myself. I closed my eyes tight. I didn't get much sleep the night before. Sleep would probably be the best idea right now. I didn't feel like sleeping.

Things would be so much easier if I could just talk to her in person.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note:_ Hey! I'm getting kind of pumped about this story, which is good news, I think. All the science of the series always confused me (I'm rubbish at science, ESPECIALLY CHEM!) and Miss Maggie never quite cleared things up. But…I'll try my best. Also, thank you _so so so_ much for all of the positive comments. I don't deserve them, seriously.

Someday these author's notes will be shorter. Maybe.

Enjoy!

**.**

Okay I've seriously been trying to write the next part of this chapter for the last six or so days but I just. Can't? Don't have time? I promise I'll get it done soon but in the meantime I hope this is okay ;-; ALL OF MY CHAPTER ARE SO SHORT, I'M THE WORST.

**Chapter Four**

● **ISABEL ●**

I sat at the kitchen counter, making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It wasn't my favourite thing, but it required the least effort. The air outside was hot and humid, typical of California. My legs were crossed as I sat on one of the counter stools and took a half-hearted bite of my sandwich. That whole thing about PB & J sandwiches always tasting good was a lie. As I took another bite, I wasn't reminded of my childhood. I was reminded of how much I didn't like being back here. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I missed Mercy Falls.

My phone started to vibrate opposite me on the counter. Reflexively, I grabbed it and put it to my ear without first checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" I answered, the boredom of this morning seeping into my voice.

"Bad time?"

I dropped the sandwich onto my plate, my heart hammering inside my chest. I didn't get to hear his voice as often as I used to and my body was well aware of this.

"Surprisingly, no." I tried not to smile, because although he couldn't see me, he would still be able to hear the smile in my voice.

"Damn."

I laughed quietly before I could think better of it. "Unfortunately, I can't use Lucy as an excuse to hang up on you again."

His pause was almost imperceptible. "I'm sure you have plenty of other excuses."

"Probably," I admitted.

Neither of us spoke for a moment. "So," I said finally, breaking the silence. "You called because…?"

"I think I need your help."

I quirked an eyebrow. "You think?"

He sighed in annoyance. "I need your help."

I smirked triumphantly. "Okay, what with?"

"With, the uh…you know, the cure stuff."

His explanation explained little, but we both knew I was smart enough to figure it out. "Sam?"

"Right, him."

"How exactly can _I _help you?"

Cole didn't respond right away. I wasn't fond of all the awkward pauses phone calls entailed. We already have enough trouble communicating face-to-face as it was. "You…have important knowledge. Because of…what happened with—"

"Oh," I quickly interrupted. Jack. "Sure. But Sam and Grace know as much about that as I do."

"Isabel."

The way he said my name made an unwanted wave of longing wash over me. It wasn't even just his voice that had me missing Mercy Falls yet again. It was thinking about Jack and last year and Grace and Sam. I stared at the counter, trying to collect my thoughts.

"What?" I asked quietly, angry undertones seeping into my voice.

"I just really need your help. Please?"

The last time I'd tried to help him with cure business, we'd ended up sneaking into my mother's office and kissing under a counter in the lab room. That was the last real kiss we'd had, I suddenly realised. A goodbye kiss never counts for much of anything. You can't taste anything but the goodbyes still hanging on both of your lips.

I sighed tiredly. Dammit, I_ was_ tired. Even moving didn't give me the chance to live a normal life again. I could have said no, but I wanted to help. Sam needed me, Grace needed me. Cole needed me. In truth, I wouldn't mind working with Cole. It was another excuse to spend more time talking to him. I just wasn't sure whether I could offer any real assistance. "Fine. What am I supposed to do, exactly?"

"I don't suppose they let you send microscopes through the mail?"

"Don't you have a microscope?" If not, I couldn't imagine how he'd made any progress since I'd left. He probably hadn't.

"Yeah, but it's shit."

"Mom has a box of old microscopes they don't use anymore because they've upgraded or something along those lines." I looked at my sandwich, anticipating the confusion that usually followed these types of conversations. I wasn't stupid, sure, but I was nowhere near as good at all the science stuff as Cole. Not many people I knew were. He always talked about things like they came so easily to him. And if they came easily to him, then I should automatically understand, too. Well, I didn't. "What have you been doing since I left?"

"Nothing, really." I just_ knew_ he was smiling, as if there was no rush. Maybe there wasn't; Sam and Grace weren't dying, that part had been fixed. But Grace still wasn't cured and Sam probably wasn't, either. The fact that four teenagers had to figure this equation out really annoyed me. "I really need that microscope. And I seem to get all kinds of epiphanies when you're around."

"But I'm not around."

"You have to drive the microscope to me."

I laughed in disbelief. I'm sure my mother would gladly give me one of her old microscopes without an explanation. And my father would be thrilled to be let me drive a long distance by myself. "Not going to happen, Cole."

"And why not?"

"Look, maybe - and I mean _maybe_ - I could fly over. But…honestly, you've met my parents."

"Yeah, your dad shot me that one time."

I flinched. That was one of my least favourite memories. It was probably second only to watching Jack die. "I can try, but I can't promise anything. Don't get your hopes up."

"They're already up to the moon by now, but I can try to call them back down to Earth if you want."

"Please do."

I figured it was as good a time as any to hang up, but apparently I was wrong.

"Isabel?"

"Cole."

"I really hope your parents let you make the trip up."

"Of course. You can't really do any research without a microscope."

"That's not what I meant."

He wasn't going to say it. He wasn't going to say what I knew he meant_. Yeah, well, I miss you too._ If he wasn't going to say it, hell if I was. "I'll try," I repeated, hoping it wasn't an empty promise.

● **COLE ●**

I knew that the odds of Isabel's parents allowing her to fly to Mercy Falls were not high, but it was still worth getting excited for. Because I really needed a damn microscope. And I may have had a few physical needs that weren't quite being met. But that would come second.

I figured I should at least do something somewhat productive today. I vaguely recalled Sam yelling at me about needing groceries, maybe. When I walked out into the main room and found a delightful note waiting for me on the table, my theory was confirmed. He had left me a grocery list, how thoughtful.

I'd recently transferred all of the money from my old bank account to Sam's. Whenever we needed anything, he'd leave me his card and I learned to master his signature. Even if it was illegal, it had been working pretty well so far. Legality had never been much of a concern to me.

Beck's old car was waiting for me in the driveway when I stepped outside, locking the front door behind me. Sometimes I forgot to lock it and Sam would get pissed at me, so I tried to make an effort of remembering. I sat down in the driver's seat and put the key in the ignition. Within ten minutes, the car was parked in the grocery store parking lot and I was rushing through the aisles. As much as I would have preferred to walk at a snail's pace, I knew that I couldn't afford to be anything other than extremely careful when in public. It had nothing to do with the fact that I could turn into a wolf at any second. Cole St. Clair wasn't supposed to be in Mercy Falls. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

Unfortunately, I hadn't been careful enough.

"Cole St. Clair." It wasn't a question, and when I hesitantly turned to find who had spoken my name, I was greeted by a tall brunette girl with a smirk plastered on her face.

"Uh, yeah. No." I turned back to grab a loaf of bread from the shelf. "I get that a lot. If _only _I was as good looking as that guy." I laughed harder than necessary.

She wasn't fooled. At least, she didn't back down. She started walking closer to me. "No, I _know _it's you." She smiled, though there wasn't anything friendly about it. She looked more triumphant than anything else. "I know all about how you've been secretly living here for months, for God knows what reason." She cocked her head to the side, drumming her fingers on the shelf beside her. "You don't work at the Crooked Shelf, but your friend does, right?"

"Excuse me?" I asked, still trying to play this off correctly. "I do have a friend who works there, good work, she-stalker. However, I regret to inform you that I am not a famous musician."

"What are you, then?" She asks, not really curious but looking to test me further.

"I'm a professional at doing nothing."

She laughed, a real one without any malice behind it. Still, I didn't like her. I didn't like how much she knew about me and I had to wonder where she had gotten all of this. "Funny. But give it up, Cole." She leaned in close to me, lowering her voice to a whisper. "I know."

I took a step back. "Look, lady, I'm not—"

"Teagan," she interrupted. "My name is Teagan."

"Okay?"

She ran her finger along the different bread packages, averting her attention from me . Her fingers walked up and down one of the packages before she continued. "Sometimes people call me Tee. You should probably remember that, because I'm your new best friend."

"No thank you, I don't like people." I watched her trail her hand along the shelf, wondering what her angle was. I wasn't a very good friend, obviously. I'd ditched one of my best friends only to have the other die in front of my eyes. If anything, I was a bad luck charm.

"Me either," she shrugged, focusing on me again. "But, I might just muster up the courage to talk to some of them about how_ the_ Cole St. Clair is right here in Mercy Falls! You know, my uncle, he works in television-"

"Okay," I cut her off. "What the hell do you want from me?"

She looked at me with surprisingly innocent eyes. "Didn't I just tell you? I just want to be your friend."

I scoffed, looking up at the ceiling briefly before shooting her an annoyed look. "Nobody ever just wants to be friends." And I should know.

"Well, I do." She shrugged. "I guess you could call me nobody."

"Don't worry, I will."


	5. Chapter 5

_Authour's note:_ This is going to be short, but basically this is really late and once again not a full chapter by any stretch of the imagination, but I felt the need to post something! I definitely understand if you're getting sick of my shit okay :c Just let me know if you'd rather I only post absolutely complete chapters from now on, even if it means a longer wait. SOMEDAY I WILL NOT BE SO HORRIBLE BUT UNTIL THEN…

● COLE

She took me to Kenny's. The last time I'd been here, a gaggle of teen girls had recognised me. And I had been with Isabel. For these reasons – though mostly the former – I didn't want to be here. But she was kind of scary when she wanted to be, so I felt compelled to go.

"Remind me again why we're here?" I asked, though I didn't particularly want an answer. I just wanted to go home.

"So we can bond, of course." She smiled privately before taking a sip of her orange juice.

In a way, I felt like I was in some kind of a hostage situation. I had been recognised before, but I had always been able to play it off like I was just some guy who looked incredibly similar to Cole St Clair. Lying was a special skill I possessed. I wasn't sure what made this girl any different from the others, but I knew I was about to find out.

"I'm not really in the mood," I sighed, running a hand tiredly through my hair. "If you could just cut to the chase, I'd appreciate it."

She pinched the end of her straw and looked at me for a moment, frowning. "Is this how you treat all of your friends?"

"Actually—"

"That was a rhetorical question," she cut me off, moving her thumb and index finger farther down the straw in order to take a sip. What kind of a person cuts someone off just to start drinking immediately afterwards? Everything she did annoyed me. She seemed so self-righteous, or like she was better than everyone else, but she tried to seem overly-friendly. I could tell she didn't have many friends despite how confident she acted. I would feel bad for her if she wasn't annoying as hell.

I leaned back in my seat, pulling my hood farther down my face. One person recognising me today was more than enough. "Anyone ever tell you how unpleasant you are to be around?" I asked in the nicest tone I could manage. I wasn't even trying to be an ass or get her to leave. It was a genuine question. She needed to know how little I was enjoying this.

"No," she said stiffly, though I knew she was trying to sound as if I hadn't offended her. "But I'm sure they think it."

"Probably." It wasn't the response I was expecting, so my prepared retort wouldn't work. Everything about this girl was confusing to me. She always zigged when I expected her to zag. Despite my best efforts, I knew I'd be spending a lot of time with her, so maybe I'd have the chance to figure her out.

_AN:_ Yes, it's very intentional that he doesn't use her name, not even in his inner monologue c;


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note_: Omg I suck and I'm leaving for college in exactly two days so progress will probably get even worse. I am so sorry, I really am. And I have a lot of inspiration for another story (sigh, nothing to do with WoMF) but I'm not starting it yet. Instead and I sitting down (well, on my bed) and writing this chapter and it's going to be full length and everything! I hope.

- Wow my tenses are all over the place in this. Sorry.

● COLE

I don't really know why I brought her back to Beck's place, though I can try to come up with a few excuses. One: I'd hurt her feelings with my comment more than I would have thought possible, and to be honest I felt a bit guilty. Two: I didn't know what she'd do if I didn't let her have her way. I didn't know what she'd do once she was alone. Three: She wouldn't fucking leave.

"So this is your place, huh?" She asked, stepping inside and looking around, he eyes lingering a while on the kitchen. Sam really needed to clean that.

"In a sense."

She turned around to face me, raising an eyebrow. "Are you a squatter or something?"

I scoffed. "_No_, I just live with a friend and it's more his place than mine." If anyone truly deserved this house, it was Sam.

"Oh, right. The one that works at the Crooked Shelf?"

I kept my eyes fixed on hers, not replying right away. "Why do you know so much about me?"

She shrugged and walked over to the couch, sitting down right against the arm. "I'm observant."

"You are literally a stalker," I addressed her from my spot near the front door. Joining her on the couch didn't have much appeal to me. "I hope you realise that. There's nothing impressive about self-delusion."

"I'm sure you're an expert on that." She was looking at the TV screen as if it was actually turned on.

"Excuse me?" It didn't take very long for me to regret showing her where I lived.

She didn't look away from the TV but I could tell she was struggling not to look at me. "Obviously you're pretending to be dead or missing or whatever because you're running away from something." Now she looked at me, an alarmingly serious expression on her face. "Do you really think that leaving your old life makes you a different person? You're_ still_ Cole St. Clair; you always will be."

I didn't know what to say – and not because I agreed or thought this was some big revelation. I knew exactly who I was. Maybe I'd had my issues in the past, but coming here with Beck and becoming a wolf had been the best decision of my life. And she was wrong. I was different. "You're really not qualified to make those kinds of grand assertions."

She looked at me for a moment before standing up and brushing past me to the door. "Maybe not, but I'm hoping someday I will be."

● ISABEL

"No."

I rolled my eyes. They never even gave me a chance. "Dad, I'm just—"

"No, Isabel," my mother chimes in. "Especially since you won't give up a clear explanation."

I cross my arms and make sure not to break eye contact. "Mom, I told you already. I just want to visit for a while before college."

"And the microscope?"

"I need it for a friend."

I can tell something clicks in my mother's mind, but she doesn't say anything, or at least not right now in front of dad. "How were you expecting to bring it on a plane?"

"Carry on?" I offer, sarcasm managing to drench my words.

"I'm serious, Isabel."

I sigh huffily. "I wanted to drive it down—"

"Absolutely not," my father is quick to object.

"—But I knew you guys would never go for it. I figured a plane would be reasonable."

They seem to be tired of simply telling me no over and over again. I hadn't realised how much I wanted to go before they were literally ripping the opportunity out of my hands.

After a full three minutes of tense silence, my dad speaks up. "You can drive down. But only if you bring Lucy with you."

"What?" I ask, sounding more upset than I should. "Why?"

"I trust Lucy to keep you out of trouble. I'd prefer someone like myself going with you, but I don't exactly want you traveling such a great distance alone with any young men I know. And I certainly can't make the trip."

"This doesn't even make any sense," I complain.

"Do you want to go or don't you?"

Of course I want to go. And to be honest, this is a better outcome than I had expected. Part of the appeal of the trip had been to get away from Lucy and my other half-witted friends, but if this was my one shot, then I'd have to take it. "All right. I'll ask Lucy about it tomorrow."

We go over some stupid travel rules that all fall under the category of things-not-to-do-if-you-have-any-common-sense for twenty minutes before my dad is done talking and leaves for his room. My mother looks at me and I know she's just been dying to say something for ages. "This friend who needs the microscope," she begins.

"Yeah?"

"Is it the boy I caught you with at my office in Mercy Falls?"

I can feel the blood rising to my cheeks, but I scowl harder in the hopes that this will distract my mother. "Why would it be?"

"I'm not an idiot, Isabel. I know you two weren't there just to…." She trails off, which I'm thankful for. "You were obviously using the equipment, I can't imagine what for. So, is that it?"

I don't reply for what feels like five minutes, or possibly only five seconds, but regardless it's agonising silence and I don't have the energy to lie about this right now. "He needs it for something important."

She doesn't look very convinced. If only she knew how smart he was. If only she knew about the wolves. If only she know why Jack really died. All I have are if onlys. "Really, like what?"

"It's complicated, mom. Seriously, I can't even get into it right now." Or ever. "Can't you just trust me? What kind of _bad_ things would we be doing with a microscope, anyways?"

I'm sure she can think of a few things, but she doesn't say anything. She just looks at me as if she's judging whether she really can trust me or not. I guess she decides I'm okay, because she gives me a little nod before leaving to join my father for the night.

It's 11:15pm and despite how surprisingly tired I am, I can't stop thinking about my impending trip long enough to sleep. I know it's later there, but I also know that Cole has a habit of not sleeping, so I decide there's no point in waiting to tell him the news.

He answers on the third ring. "Hey."

"Hey," I echo. "My parents are actually letting me drive the microscope over."

"Really?" He asks, his excitement almost tangible over the phone. I remind myself that it's probably 95% about the microscope and maybe 5% about me.

"Yes, surprisingly. But they had a condition."

"What kind of condition?"

"I have to bring my friend Lucy with me." I try not to sigh at the end.

"Is she going to be your chaperone?" There it is again, the smile in his voice.

"Apparently so," I admit, because that's exactly what she is. "But at least I get to go. And my mom's letting me bring a microscope and everything."

"Does she know what's it's for?"

Now I really do sigh. "She figured it out."

"What do you mean?" He asks, sounding worried. As if my mother knows about the wolf cure.

"Based on the time she found us after hours at her office, she pieced together that the microscope was probably for you."

"Ah, smart parents. I know it well."

I try not to look for any sadness in his tone. He chose to leave his parents and I'd like to believe he's happy with that decision. "It's a pain. Anyways, I guess I'll see you soon."

"See you soon."

It's not quite a goodbye, so neither of us hang up. It's quiet for a minute before I hear him purposely breathe into the receiver. "Goodnight, Isabel."

"Goodnight, Cole."


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: _You guys ;-; I received a lot of reviews recently and it sort of…broke my heart? I have to be honest, I don't exactly know where this story is going. And I don't have the motivation for it most of the time. I've been working on a completely unrelated fic and I—yeah. But I really don't want to let you guys down. I know there's not much WOMF fic out there, let alone Isabel/Cole. So. It's 1:33am and I wanted to go to sleep early today, but my first class is at 2:30pm so I'm going to crank out this chapter and uh. We'll see how that goes!

Thank you so much for all of the support. I can't even express how much every single review means to me, even if it's just like…one word long. Honestly.

● ISABEL ●

I was laying on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I wasted so much time doing this, not that I noticed most of the time. The sad truth was that I didn't have much else to do.

"I think they're starting to warm up to him."

I 'mmm'd and rolled onto my side. "That's good. I'd say I can't imagine anyone disliking Sam, but you two did kind of put your parents through a lot."

"We had to."

"_I_ know that. But they don't."

It was pretty safe to say that the odds of Grace telling her parents about any of this wolf business were low. I was the only one who had never been a wolf, was never doomed to become one in the future. That was another thing I never thought about. It was too weird when I did. As if my being normal was actually odd. I sure did know how to pick friends.

She sighed. "And they never will."

"Well, it could be worse. Cole's never going to talk to his parents again. At least yours are…there. In the best way they know how."

I could sense her annoyance over the phone. "Not for much longer. I'm leaving for college soon enough."

"They'll still be there, Grace."

She didn't say anything for a few agonising seconds. Finally: "Yeah. Anyways, it's late, so I'm going to sleep now. Goodnight, Isabel."

Her tone was polite, not mean or tight. But I knew she must have been at least a little upset with me. "'Night, Grace." I stared at the screen as the call ended, Grace having hung up on her end. I tossed it aside and groaned.

I felt so disconnected from everything.

● COLE ●

"So it really _is _you who works here?"

"No."

She furrowed her brows. "Then why are we here?"

"_I'm _here as a favour to Sam. He should be back within the next half hour. Why the hell _you're _here, I have no idea." I was never this mean to anyone but her. I doubted anyone could be patient around her. She was so aggravating. She had been, for all intents and purposes, stalking me, yet she acted as if she _belonged _wherever I went, like I should just automatically like her. It would be funny and sad if it wasn't so damn annoying.

"Oh," she said, in response to the first part. "And I'm here because we're best buddies now, remember?"

"I had tried to forget."

She laughed. Another real, genuine one. I had no idea why that would make her laugh. I really had to question her sanity.

"I'm unforgettable," she winked. She propped herself up to sit on the front counter before crossing her legs.

_Unbelievable_ I groaned internally. "Get off of the counter."

"I don't exactly see any place else for me to sit," she pointed out.

"Go home! Go anywhere but here."

She sat back, leaning all of her weight on her arms. It took her a while to respond. "Nah." I could tell she was trying to sound all fine and casual, but the word practically died on her lips. It had come out as little more than a weak utterance.

I would not allow myself to feel bad.

"Teagan," I sighed. "Please. Sam will be back any minute. Just – There's a little coffee shop down the street. Wait there and I'll meet you after I'm done filling in, all right?"

She seemed skeptical. She was probably smart to be skeptical. "Will you really come for me?"

"I will."

She smiled and jumped from the counter, quickly spinning around to place her hands flat on the countertop while facing me. "I'm off, then." An almost imperceptible pause – then she leaned forward to peck me on the cheek. It was so fast and gentle that I almost missed it.

Before I could say anything, she was out the door.

The scent of her perfume still lingered in the air around me.

_A/N:_ Was side-tracked by a phone call with my mother and now it's 4:32am x_x Mind you, she's three hours behind me, in case you were wondering. Hope this is okay for now? Okay. Sorry for any typos! I really need to sleep.


End file.
